


From Beauty

by flashforeward



Category: King Falls AM (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Closeted Character, F/M, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-05
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-27 04:41:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13873350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flashforeward/pseuds/flashforeward
Summary: By chance, freshman Art major Jack Wright runs into senior Graphic Design major Sammy Stevens and while he's almost certain it's all been set up by his sister, Lily, to ensure he has friends he can't help but find himself drawn to Sammy.  Sammy, meanwhile, is closeted and uncertain and while he likes Jack he's not ready to take a risk on it, not when he's pretty sure Jack doesn't want him around. While Jack tries to figure out how to fix what he messed up, Sammy gets advice from his friends and the people up late enough to listen to his show on the college radio station and maybe eventually the two of them will figure this thing out. Whatever it is.





	From Beauty

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't NEED to start another KFam WIP but I did anyway. This was for a prompt on Tumblr asking for a college AU.

In all honestly, Jack had expected to coast through university. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised when, on his second all-nighter one month into his first semester, that he'd been wrong. He'd picked art as a major partly as a fuck you to his parents and partly because it's what he loved and what he'd wanted to do in the first damn place. And since they'd disowned him when he came out, he figured he didn't have to keep his promise to his dad that he'd do something practical like business or communications. When the time came to declare and he was sleeping on his sister's couch instead of in his old room, he decided to go with his first love: art.

He was well out of practice. The last big project he'd done was for Lily's radio program and that hadn't been just him and had gone through so many edits on its way to the world he hardly recognized it once it was complete. So he really shouldn't have been surprised, sitting up well into the wee hours of the morning, that his first project for studio art wasn't going as well or as easily as he'd hoped.

It didn't help that he kept falling asleep.

A hand on his shoulder startled him and he sat up, elbow sinking into the softness of someone's stomach. There was an "oof" from behind him and he whirled around on his stool, blinking sleep from his eyes and squinting against the light, trying to see who the hell else was in the art room at 2 o'clock in the morning.

"Sorry," the guy was saying as he came into focus, tall and broad, long hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. He was trying not to laugh, the corner of his mouth twitching up. "Sorry, I just figured you wouldn't want to drool on your painting."

Jack turned to look at the paper, groaning at what was indeed a pool of drool in the middle of his still life. Shit. "Thanks," he grumbled, glaring at the offending spot. "Guess I have to start over." Again.

"Nah, don't worry about it, just make it part of the whole!" The guy was up against his side now, sketching around the spot with quick strokes. "See? Now it's a rotten apple. Make a statement about how even beautiful things can go bad." He turned his head, looking down at Jack, grinning at him, eyes bright.

How was he so happy this late at night.

"Uh. Thanks..."

"Sammy." He shifted back slightly, still too close, hand held out to shake. "Sammy Stevens."

"I'm Jack-"

"Wright, I know. Your sister and I had a few journalism classes together back before I decided on graphic design."

Great. He knew Lily. Which meant he probably knew everything. Just fucking great.

"Well, thanks, Sam."

"It's Sammy." He was still too close. Still looking down at Jack like he was the best thing Sammy'd seen in ages

Jack's cheeks grew hot and he ducked his head. "Sammy, then. Thanks. But I'm going to start over anyway."

"Oh." Sammy sounded crestfallen. "Well. Can I have this one?" He set a hand on the paper, long thin fingers toying with the edge.

Jack shrugged. "Sure, whatever." He could feel Sammy's smile as the paper disappeared, leaving the table before him clear and untouched.

When he finally worked up the courage to look, Sammy was gone.

It would be two weeks before Jack was sure he hadn't dreamt the whole encounter.

It was on display outside the art room. Part of a small showing from the graphic design seniors. It was an apple, a very familiar apple, with a dark spot at the center that had something growing out of it. Something trying to reach through. The title: From Beauty. The artist credit: Sammy Stevens (senior), Jack Wright (freshman). Traditional and digital art.

Jack wanted to be mad but he was too stunned by how it had turned out. Was staring at it when he heard that voice again.

"I hope you don't mind. I told Prof. B you were okay with it. I was gonna ask you but. you never came back."

He hadn't. He'd taken to working on his art in his room, only venturing into the art department for class. It wasn't that he didn't want to run into Sammy again, wasn't that he didn't want to see that earnest smile, but he was afraid of what Sammy knew. What Lily might have told him.

He didn't want to start off college as someone's pity project.

But. "It's fine. It's. Really good." He turned, looked up at Sammy's grin, finding he couldn't resist grinning right back. There was an energy to Sammy's enthusiasm that was hard to resist.

"I almost ruined your apple," he said, throwing an arm across Jack's shoulders and pulling him in for an awkward sort of side hug. "Eldritch horrors don't cooperate very well."

Jack laughed, couldn't help but laugh. "As long as it doesn't break into our dimension I think it'll be okay."

"I think the glass will keep it at bay," Sammy said, tapping a knuckle on the frame. "I had it blessed." He tipped his gaze back to Jack and winked, still grinning.

Always grinning.

Jack shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, uncertain under the weight of Sammy's arm. Uncertain now that the banter had ceased. All his worries and fears were louder now, insistent that this was Lily's doing, that she'd told Sammy to check in on him, to make sure he was okay with...everything.

He hated that. Hated even thinking it.

So he pulled away, hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched, gaze down so he wouldn't have to meet Sammy's eyes. "Thanks for," he gestured at the picture. "But like. You don't have to go out of your way to be nice to me. I won't tell Lily."

"What?" he really sounded confused, but Jack didn't buy it. Knew his sister too well.

"I know Lily asked you to look out for me," Jack said, face hot as he spoke. He hated acknowledging this, admitting his sister thought he needed her to check up on him. To find friends for him. "It's really okay. I'm okay. I don't need...," he trailed off as he glanced at Sammy's expression, saw confusion and hurt.

And Sammy took a step back.

That was when Jack realized he'd fucked up. But it was too late.

"Sorry," Sammy said, voice flat. "I won't bother you anymore.

He was gone before Jack could fix it, take it all back, try to get back to where they started. Had turned a corner, leaving Jack alone with his apple and Sammy's Lovecraftian creature.


End file.
